Establishing a boundary for a CDM Programme Activity

The exact geographic area that is covered by each individual CDM Programme Activity (CPA) registered under the Programme of Activities (PoA) depends on the type of project and the methodology applied:

The applied approved methodology shall define whether the CPA is undertaken in a single facility/installation/land or undertaken in multiple facilities/installations/land (EB 32, Annex 38, page 1).

However, it is clear that the Executive Board envisages very different project boundaries to apply to different types of emissions reduction activities and that the boundary of some CPAs can encompass a large geographic area, as Version 2 of the Guidance on the registration of project activities under a programme of activities as a single CDM project activity shows:

For example using an approved methodology a CPA could be a single mini hydro or using another approved methodology be a large area (e.g. city region) over which efficient light bulbs are installed at households etc (EB 32, Annex 38, page 1, note 1).

The Executive Board has also clarified that, in completing the Programme of Activities Design Document (CDM-POA-PDD), the boundary must be defined:

taking into consideration "all applicable national and/or sectoral policies and regulations of each host country within that chosen boundary" (EB 32, Annex 39, paragraph 2(b)).